True to its ambition to offer an excellent mobility service at the cutting edge of the latest technologies, G7 has become the first company in France to provide contactless payment by card for amounts over €50, thanks to the “PIN Online” function deployed from 25 February on board its 9,000 Parisian taxis.

To ensure the success of this unprecedented launch, G7 has selected the best players and the latest innovations in the Castles Technology, PayXpert, La Banque Postale, and FrenchSys.

Online PIN – what is it ?

Today, any card transaction in contactless mode exceeding €50 is impossible and requires the insertion of a bank card. Thanks to the Online PIN functionality implemented on the new FrenchSys FRv6 repository, from now on, all transactions over €50, without exception, can be made in contactless mode. In this configuration, the PIN code is verified online, i.e., with the card issuer directly and not by the chip, without inserting the card in a payment terminal. Thus, the user experience is “frictionless,” as the cardholder keeps the card at all times and only has to enter the code when required.

A consortium at the forefront of the latest payment technologies

G7 has joined forces with Castles Technology, the leader in Android payment terminals, PayXpert, a fintech specialising in cross-border and omnichannel payment solutions, and La Banque Postale, a bancassurance and citizen bank. Thanks to this strategic collaboration, this consortium is the first to offer Online PIN payment solutions for CB cardholders in France.

La Banque Postale, a pioneer in PIN Online in close collaboration with PayXpert and Castles Technology

La Banque Postale is the first French bank to launch the PIN Online functionality as part of the digitisation of the G7 Parisian taxis. This innovation results from its partnership with payment specialist PayXpert and payment terminal manufacturer Castles Technology. PayXpert, a true precursor of international payment, has used the potential of the recent FRv6 repository of FrenchSys to deploy its software solution on the new generation of Android terminals and allows:

  • Acceptance of cards from several payment networks, including CB, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, China Union Pay, Discover.
  • Multiple Global Blue currencies support.
  • As well as PIN Online functionality.

Yann Ricordel, Deputy Managing Director of G7, said: “Facilitating mobility for all also involves simple, fast, and innovative payment methods. So, with contactless payment with no ceiling onboard G7 taxis, we are completing our range of services to offer our customers a smooth and frictionless taxi experience. As a leading French player in mobility, we are proud to be pioneering the latest payment technologies alongside the consortium of our partners.”

Jean-Philippe Niedergang, CCO of Castles Technology, said: “Innovation is at the heart of all the solutions we develop at Castles Technology. We want to be key players in innovation to offer our customers a unique and disruptive payment experience.

Nicolas Riegert, CEO of PayXpert, says: “We are proud to be among the pioneers of the Online PIN. This innovation results from a great collaboration with La Banque Postale, Castles Technology, and various international payment networks. Through hard work, we have been able to solve complex technological problems and create the customer experience of tomorrow. As a facilitator, PayXpert now enables G7 to guarantee smooth and secure exchanges to its customers, reconcile its flows in an automated manner and accelerate the digitalisation of taxis. While this is our first significant step in the French market, it is only the beginning. The Online PIN will transform the way things are done, and the technological infrastructure. We will be there to support consumers and professionals in this digital (r)evolution.

Régis Folbaum, Director of Payments at La Banque Postale, said: “In the face of the new challenges posed by payment transactions, this significant technological advance in the field of acceptance clearly illustrates La Banque Postale’s ability to support its merchants, even the most demanding, in an agile manner. It is with rigour and professionalism that our teams have worked as quickly and efficiently with our partners Castles Technology and PayXpert, in the service of G7.

Cédric Sarazin, Managing Director of FrenchSys, said: “By choosing the FrenchSys FRv6 standard, the players involved have chosen innovation, scalability, and coverage of new needs in terms of payment acceptance in compliance with regulations.

About G7

As the French leader in the taxi industry, G7 has two missions: to improve mobility for all and to facilitate the daily life of its affiliated independent drivers. In Paris, its 9,000 taxi drivers transport 20 million passengers per year. G7 is also present in 180 cities in France, with 4,000 affiliated taxi drivers in the regions. G7 offers individuals and companies a wide range of efficient and innovative services and tools to meet their needs and support their daily mobility. G7 is a subsidiary of the ROUSSELET Group.

About Castles Technology

Castles Technology is a global leader in Android-based payment acceptance and a significant player in the payment industry, providing integrated solutions to meet the needs of banks and merchants of all sizes and industries. Our comprehensive portfolio consists of competitive and secure products, solutions, and services.

About PayXpert

Founded in 2009, PayXpert is a pioneer in the payment industry. With a DNA based on a cross-border and omnichannel approach, PayXpert offers a complete and innovative range of payment processing solutions for online and physical commerce (acceptance, flow management, optimisation, certification, authentication, anti-fraud, Android POS certification, etc.).

Today, PayXpert offers more than 25 payment methods, processes more than 100 different currencies, and serves more than 650 world-renowned brands (Harvey Nichols, Clarins, Le Savoy, Gucci, etc). With the ambition to improve the customer journey and respond to new shopping and payment habits, the company works closely with WeChat Pay, AliPay and UPI among others. PayXpert is headquartered in the UK and has operations in France, Spain, and Taiwan. For more information: www.payxpert.com

About La Banque Postale

Together with its subsidiaries, including CNP Assurances, La Banque Postale is a leading European bancassurer and leader in sustainable finance. Its diversified business model enables it to support 20 million individual and corporate customers with a comprehensive range accessible to all. A subsidiary of the La Poste Group, La Banque Postale is a local bank, present throughout France with 17,000 points of contact, including 7,600 post offices.

With its strategic plan “La Banque Postale 2030”, La Banque Postale has set itself the ambition of becoming the preferred bank of the French, with an integrated and omnichannel offer of bank insurance services based on three distinct brands: La Banque Postale, its everyday bank, Ma French Bank, its 100% mobile bank and BPE, its private bank. With its solid civic identity, La Banque Postale is positioned at the service of a fair transition, responding to environmental, social, territorial, and digital issues

About FrenchSys

FrenchSys is a service company dedicated to facilitating the development and improvement of card acceptance and acquiring solutions in France.
A new player in the card payment solutions ecosystem, FrenchSys is a proven specialist, based on the 35 years of expertise of the Groupement Cartes Bancaires in the field of acceptance and acquiring of bank cards and major French payment systems.
With its resolutely multi-brand, multi-technology, and multi-channel positioning, FrenchSys serves a French market of more than 2 million acceptance points through its main clients: acquirers, acceptors, domestic and international card systems, and electronic payment manufacturers.